Information Security Newsletter Series: Introduction to ...



Information Security Newsletter Series: Man-Made Risks to Information Security

Computer Hackers and Your Computer’s Security

In the previous installment in this series, we learned that information security is the prevention and detection of unauthorized use of a computer or information system. We also learned about the three main goals of information security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. In this installment, we will investigate the man-made risks to information security and a few simple steps to take to prevent these risks.

Many people, when they are first told about the importance of information security, start to wonder just who, exactly, would really want to break into their computer and why—after all, not too many people store anything very important on their computer, do they?

Computer intruders, more commonly referred to as “hackers,” may not care about who you are, but they still may want to gain access to your computer to use it to attack other computers or to take your personal information to use against you. Being able to control your computer allows intruders to keep their whereabouts a secret while they attack other computers. Even if your computer is connected to the Internet for only a short time, your computer may still be a target. Being online for even a short time gives intruders the chance to take enough information to steal your identity or cause damage to yours or someone else’s computer.

How easy is it for a hacker to break into your computer? Unfortunately, intruders are discovering new ways to gain access to your information every day. When holes in common operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, are discovered, however, computer vendors will often develop patches to address the problem. Even though they do this, it is up to you to obtain and install the patches, or correctly configure the software to operate more securely. Most incidents can be prevented if users keep their computers up to date with patches and security fixes. Some software even has default settings that allow others to access your computer unless you change the settings, such as chat programs or web browsers.

Summary

The only way to make any information system more secure is to learn about the ways to make it so. Although this article only touches the surface of the basic risks to information security, you will learn more about making your time online as well as your own information system safer and more secure in the articles that follow. Although no system is ever completely free of risk, learning the ways to make your own information system more secure will help reduce the chances of anything harmful happening to your information.

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